The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity is incredibly proud to end 2025 with the news that we have funded businesses and postgraduate students in Leicestershire with over £1 MILLION in interest-free loans and business grants this year!
In a huge boost for Leicestershire & Rutland businesses and postgraduate students, this record-breaking milestone was reached through £949,032 being approved in interest-free loans, in addition to our 2025 grants scheme awarding £103,500 to local businesses.
This means that the Charity has approved £1,052,532 in total this year – by far the most in our entire 483-year history!
The loan approvals in the final quarter of 2025 will support 10 businesses including a dance school, dog trainer and bakery, while six interest-free education loans have been approved to enable the studies of legal, medical and policing postgraduate courses, among others.
Lucy Womack, STWLC Chair, said: “This is a hugely special milestone and a significant moment in the Charity’s history. To approve over £1M in a single year through interest-free loans and grants is something we’re so incredibly proud of. But more than that, behind every loan and grant is a person with ambition, determination and a vision for their future – the very people our Charity exists to support.
“Whether it’s helping a local business expand or enabling a postgraduate student to pursue a vital career path, these funds change lives and strengthen our communities. We can’t wait to see the positive impact this funding will have, and we look forward to supporting even more people across Leicestershire and Rutland in 2026.”
STWLC’s 2025 In Numbers
• 69 interest-free loans approved
• £773,632 approved in interest-free business loans
• £175,400 approved in interest-free education loans
• 24 business grants awarded, totalling £103,500
Established in 1542, STWLC hosts quarterly application windows each year in which people aged over 18 and under 45 can apply for unique interest-free loans of up to £20,000 to aid local businesses, or £10,000 to support students wishing to return to postgraduate education. The Charity’s loans are interest-free for nine years, and become repayable by equal instalments after three years.
The next deadline for applications is 3:30pm on Monday 5 January 2026.
